OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Oklahoma Ford dealers along with Seth Wadley Auto Group came together to donate a new 2024 Lincoln Aviator to the Automotive Service Technology program at the Francis Tuttle Rockwell Campus.

The new vehicle will be used for hands-on training for upcoming automotive technicians who have the opportunity to be hired by Ford.

In the past, Ford dealers have hired graduates from Francis Tuttle and have praised the school’s automotive training program. Ford hopes that the donated vehicle will encourage future graduates to seek employment for Ford technician positions.

Francis Tuttle is the only CareerTech center in Oklahoma that has received a vehicle from Ford this year. The program also participates in the Ford Automotive Career Exploration apprenticeship.

“You guys are killing it,” J.T. Bowers, Technical Placement Specialist, said to a crowd of Francis Tuttle instructors and administrators. “You’re turning out quality technicians, and we want to get our hands on them first.”

Instructor Steve Boyd said the Lincoln Aviator is a unique vehicle for the students as they use it for training. The Aviator is a modern style vehicle that is equipped with the latest technology.

The students will be able to train on the new Lincoln Aviator during the 2024-25 school year that will begin in August. The MSRP of the 2024 model is $57,735, compared to the vehicle donated to Francis Tuttle being around $70,000.

More

Oklahoma News

“As a tech center, we don’t see this very often,” Boyd said. “We appreciate what Seth Wadley and Ford has done for us and we would love to continue partnering with them. This makes a real difference.”

The Automotive Service Technology program at Francis Tuttle’s Rockwell Campus holds a capacity of 160 students.

Francis Tuttle has teamed up with Ford dealers twice before by hosting Ford Day. The event welcomes dealerships to bring out vehicles, simulators, and equipment in order to show what a career at Ford can give.